Your Situation Is Not Your Destination Many people face trials and tribulations day to day that mold them into the individuals they are destined to be. These could be positive or negative trials and tribulations, but either way, experiences ultimately are the major key to people’s growth and perception of the world around them. These experiences may be brought on by external factors such as who people surround themselves with (i.e. friends and relationships), neighborhoods and what is considered the “norm” for said neighborhood (i.e. gun violence, gang involvements, drugs, etc.), influences from parents or other caregivers and the amount of time they devote to the growing child. Many people are granted the same opportunity as others, but they let these extrinsic factors sway them from their destinations and wind up in situations based on how they handled previous situations. This idea is true in the novel The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates written by Wes Moore. In this novel, Wes Moore gives the detailing truth about how people are affected negatively by their decisions everyday, but also how positive influences such as role models and caring families have a positive effect on the development and destination of a child. The paths that both the Wes Moores took in life could have easily converged and been taken on by the other. No matter one’s predetermined outcome in life, his or her life can still be drastically shifted due to external influences and resources, much
In his book, “The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates,” Wes Moore (2011) tells a true story about two men from Baltimore who have identical names but have different outcomes in life. He also illustrates the similarities of their life’s situations when they were younger, the decisions they made in life and their impacts, and the roads they took that ultimately led them to where they are today.
Humans have come to a conclusion that all lives are different, but all go through many hardships and tragedies. The impact from a slight difference can vary to be very vast to very small, such a slight difference, however, can change a person’s life as a whole. In the book, The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore there is a difference that can be identified between the author’s life and that of the other Wes. This difference, though can be very critical and is ultimately able to lead to a path of triumph or failure for an individual. The lack of involvement a mother has for their child can fundamentally deprive them from succeeding, and parent involvement has the opportunity to
The mother in the memoir “The Other Wes Moore”, was born in Jamaica and came to the U.S at age 3. Unlike the first mother, she grew up on the East Coast and did not come from a family with money. She attended college and was married during her junior year. Although both mothers had different upbringings, and parented during different times, their values as parents were the same. They also had something else in common, they were both in an abusive marriage and had one child with that husband. For the mother of this memoir, she had hoped the situation would change once their child was born. As stated in the text, “his addiction just got worse, and the physical, mental, and emotional abuse he unleashed became more intense” (Moore, para. 21). She
The Other Wes Moore focuses on two men both named Wes Moore. They have both lead lives that were similar to each other as they grew up in fatherless homes in the inner cities of Baltimore and the Bronx. However, the two ended up taking very different paths and through the book you see a shift for the good in the author Wes’s life path, while the other Wes’s path takes a turn for the worst. Both of the two grew up on the street, dealing drugs, skipping school, and making poor choices. While both Wess’ had figures in their lives that tried to keep them on the right path, such as author Wes’s mom, Joy, or other Wes’s brother ,Tony, they continued down dark paths. These things lead to the author Wes being sent to military school by his mom, who throughout the book is constantly trying to get Wes the best education that she can. The other Wes never got this change and stayed on the street and is now in jail for life for being involved with a robbery gone wrong where a cop ended up getting shot. After attending military school at Valley Forge Military Academy, author Wes improved his grades, became a decorated solider, and a Rhodes Scholar. The two paths split dramatically in the book but the choices and roles easily could have been reversed had the either of the two made a few different choices while they were growing up. Author Wes was able to give up dealing drugs, while the other Wes was never able to afford giving it up, even though he tried several times,
In the book, The Other Wes Moore it is difficult to believe the great similarities in the lives of the two Moores, who share a name and other aspects of life. The two were raised fatherless and were born in the late 1970’s in the neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. They also happen to have encountered similar experiences when growing up, but at one point one of them became a criminal and the other a scholar (the author of the book). The author of the book seems to be interested in the similarities of the two boys as opposed to their different experiences. The story is interesting and makes one imagine what would have become of the writer if he did not by any chance come across the people who guided him to become what
Connection: The Other Wes Moore is a book about two men named Wes Moore that grew up minutes away from each other in tough areas of Baltimore. This story describes their up bringing and decision making that ultimately led to the lives they lived. Just as the chapter said, this specific book is one where you have to ask yourself, can this person be saved? By asking this question you are stepping out of your perspective and into the character’s. The first Wes Moore had a hard youth with tough crowds, but had excellent role models that helped him
The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore follows two boys, with the same name, growing up in similar environments, and how they end up where they are today. One of them is a “Rhodes Scholar, decorated veteran, White House Fellow, and business leader”, while the other one is in prison for murder. The author’s central argument is that the choices an individual makes will dictate their future.
Wes Moore's "The Other Wes Moore" represents the lives of two. Wes Moore, the author, is about to become a Rhodes Scholar when he learns of another man named Wes Moore, who is about to be sentenced to life in prison for killing a police officer. At the time, the two Moore lives near one another and are about the same age .They both went on a dramatically different path.
In “The Other Wes Moore” there was many people that helped him along the way and had an impact on the other Wes Moore's life. Some of those people were Wes dad Westly, Joy his mother, Grandparents, and Colonel Bratt. Even though Wes may not have known some of these people for a long time, or they may not have been the greatest role model for him at times, every single one of them had a part in making him who he is today. To me the person that impacted him the most would be Joy Wes’s mother.
“I sat back, allowing Wes's words to sink in. Then I responded, "I guess it's hard sometimes to distinguish between second chances and last chances"(Page 67). In "The Other Wes Moore" the environment of both Wes Moore's were completely different from each other. They both made some stupid decisions over time but who is perfect? It is expected of everyone to make some mistakes, in my opinion the main influence on their choices came from their environment. In their environment they had peers that would influence them to do things that they did not necessarily want to do. This caused them to get into trouble, but at the same token, their environment also gave them some opportunities to make it through some rough times. For Example: Wes #2
Humans have come to a conclusion that all lives are different, but all go through many hardships and tragedies. The impact from a slight difference can vary to be very huge to very small, such a slight difference however, can change a person’s life as a whole. In the book, The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore there is a difference that can be identified between the author’s life and that of the other Wes. This difference though, can be very critical and is ultimately able to lead to a path of triumph or failure for an individual. The lack of involvement a mother has for their child can fundamentally deprive them from succeeding, and parent involvement has the opportunity to play a huge role in college success by giving
Today, everybody is seeking success. Success comes from different factors. Some of those factors are individual which can be decided by people, such as dedicating ten thousand hours of practice or having a growth mindset. But some of those factors cannot be controlled. Those factors cannot be decided by the people, or predicted by them in anyway. The Other Wes Moore is a story about two boys with similar backgrounds and similar situations, growing up in similar neighborhoods. .Wes Moore offers his readers a clear insights into how success can be affected by both individual and uncontrollable factors such as culture legacy, growth, fixed mindset, and meaning of life.
A person’s success or failure can be determined by their environment, education, choices; a number of different things. The autobiography The Other Wes Moore takes a look at two boys with the same name and eerily similar circumstances who end up in very different places in life. Wes Moore spoke at convocation about his book and what he hoped that people would get from it. In the book he says “The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine. The tragedy is that my story could have been his.” (Moore xi). These two men didn’t share the same fate because they each made a choice about what they wanted their life to become. The book truly demonstrates how the choices you make, make you. One Wes
There's a theory where any given person has infinite paths of life. For every action there is a new path, and the paths keep dividing and extending, each one having new sets of outcomes and opportunities for the person to encounter. The book The Other Wes Moore, by Wes Moore, is a philosophically interesting book as it talks about these paths. Two boys named Wes Moore grew up in similar situations, yet their actions led to them going on two different paths, leading to two completely different lives. The book gives some insight into how these two Wes’ actions as youth led them on their paths. One theme occurring in the text was chances, and specifically second chances, which shaped Wes and Wes throughout their youth. While both Wes’ got their first and second chances, they each treated them differently.
“The Other Wes Moore” is a story that follows two boys with the exact same name who start off living very similar lives in Baltimore, Maryland. One of the boys live on to be an extremely successful man and the other one is living the rest of his life behind bars. The two men wondered how their strikingly similar path diverged into two completely different fates and then an argument formed. Are people products of their choices or their environment and expectations thrown upon them? The book proves that people are products of their choices. Both Wes Moores were raised by a single mom in the tough streets of Baltimore and they both were rebellious children who got arrested at a young age. Their similarities lessened as their choices and their mom’s choices contrasted. The more fortunate Wes was sent to Military school and he chose to make the most of it and become the best version of himself. His determination and hard work trumped his previous hooligan mindset, therefore his future was bright and fulfilling. The other Wes chose to follow his brother,